


Her Southern Lord

by UnlikelyAuthor



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Physical Disability, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-05 11:37:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14617617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnlikelyAuthor/pseuds/UnlikelyAuthor
Summary: After a failed betrothal Sansa Stark still longs for a family of her own.  When her father arranges for a match with Willas Tyrell, their marriage starts off with a few bumps.AU with an older Sansa and a younger Willas.





	1. Meetings

Sansa watched the sun as it dipped below the horizon.  It was getting colder; soon even the southerners would have to acknowledge what the North knew.  Winter was coming.  The ravens would be sent from Oldtown far to the south out across the entire realm announcing the end of summer.

Looking back to her needlework she smiled as the work was coming along quite nicely.  Robb’s wife was pregnant with their third child.  Since the babe would be born during winter, Sansa had started on a new scarf to wrap the little one up in against the harsh winter winds.  The direwolf she had sewn on the scarf stood proudly against the grey wool background.

As she worked the thoughts of children of her own came to her.  At four and twenty she was past the age most noble women had born children.  While Arya was like her, still unmarried, it was not surprising for her younger sister to be so.  Arya preferred to spend her time out riding or sparring with their brothers, much to the dismay of their mother.  Their father had long ago stopped trying to get Arya to act more ladylike.

Sansa tried to imagine what it would be like to make something for a child of her own.  Sometimes it would help with the feelings of longing.  At the moment though such thoughts only brought on even more longing.

Deciding to instead set aside her work for the evening Sansa settled on looking for a book to read.  Lady watched her lazily from the corner of the room where she lounged on a specially made bed.  Or rather the pillows that served as the direwolfs bed.

She did not get far into her book when a knock sounded at her door.

“Yes.”  She replied to whoever it was.

The door opened to reveal her father and mother.

“Father, mother.”  Sansa greeted her parents as they entered her room.  They would all meet later in the great hall for supper; it was a little surprising to have them both come to her room beforehand.

“Is anything wrong?”  Her mother seemed a little annoyed at her father and was giving him a probing look.

Her father offered Sansa a small smile and motioned for her to sit on her bed while he and her mother sat opposite in two chairs.  Taking a letter from his vest that had previously been hidden he looked at it as he turned it in his hands.  “This came just now.”  Was all he said.

The only discernible feature of the letter was the high quality paper it was written on as well as the deep green seal.  Sansa could not make out whose seal it was.

Her mother nudged her husband and looked at him expectantly.  Sighing her father met her eyes.  “It is from House Tyrell.  They are requesting assistance in putting down a rebellion in their lands from house Florent.  It would seem that many of their own bannermen are not interested in picking sides and have instead chosen to stay out of the fight.  The war has been in a stalemate now for some time.”

Sansa failed to see what news of a rebellion in the Reach far to the south had to do with her.  She of course new the major lords of the Realm, including the Tyrells, other than that all she knew of the Reach was that it was a bountiful land full of flowers and knights.

At this line from her father Lady Stark gave a huff.  “What you father is trying to say Sansa is that there has been an offer for your hand , and your father has agreed to it.”

“With some stipulations.”  Lord Stark cut in.  “I will not have a repeat of the last time I attempted to arrange a match for my daughter.”

At this Sansa dropped her gaze, trying to force back memories of the whole unpleasant affair.

“An alliance between house Stark and house Tyrell would be signed and bound in your marriage to Lord Mace’s heir and eldest son Willas.  With the alliance we will send some men south to help the Tyrell’s put down the rebellion and in return we will receive food stuffs during the winter.”

These new word had Sansa’s mind working in a whirl.  A marriage?  She had always desired one, even after her last disastrous betrothal to Lord Cerwyn’s youngest cousin.  “Will we travel south then?”

“No.  That is one of the stipulations.  The wedding will take place here in Winterfell.  You will not move to Highgarden until the rebellion is put down.  I will not put you in harm’s way again.  At least here I can keep an eye on your southern lord husband and put the fear of the old gods in him.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”  Her mother added.  “The letters we have received from the south say he is nothing like Cerwyn’s cousin.”

“The fact still stands.  I will not have the boy lay a hand on our daughter or disrespect her.”

“The boy?  How old is Lord Tyrell’s son?”  Sansa asked.

“He is ten and seven, just out of his training to be a knight.  Not that it did him any good, or that he’ll be serving as a ser anytime again.”

He was younger than her.  That was not something she had expected.  It was not a large difference, which was good.  That he was a knight was even more interesting.  She had always found knights to be romantic and fascinating.  “What do you mean it did not do him any good?”

“The southerners like to make a spectacle of war.  They have their knights all dressed up in fancy and shiny armor and joust against one another.  A foolish use of men if they hurt themselves like the boy did.  Even more foolish that it was Lord Tyrell’s heir.”

“Was he hurt in a tourney then?

“Yes, his horse fell and crushed his leg.”

“Oh.”  Sansa pondered such an accident.  It sounded like it would have been painful.  A man with a crippled leg would might not be able to ride again, or at least not with a lance.

Her father leaned closer to her and spoke softly.  “Your mother and I have been corresponding with the Tyrells for several weeks now.  We did not want to tell you should the talks fall through.  I did not want to get your hopes up.”  He ran his hand through his beard.  “And I wanted to make sure the boy seemed to be of decent manners, from what little I can tell through his father’s letters before I told you.  I know you have wanted a match of your own for some time now.”

Sansa smiled.  “Thank you father, I do trust your judgement.  I would welcome the chance to stay on in the North for a while longer.  It has been…. lonely with Jeyne and all my friends now married with children of their own, and me…”  She trailed off giving a slight shrug of her shoulders.

“Sometimes I don’t know what’s worse.  A daughter who doesn’t wish to get married and carries on like a boy, or one that does and it falls to me to make sure the match is a good one.  With the alliance agreed to your betrothed should leave for the North soon.  They will need to make it before the real snows start.”

It would take them many weeks to make the journey north.

“We were going to make the announcement tonight at supper.”  Her mother said as her father nodded in agreement.

“Alright.”  Sansa said with a smile.

Her parents rose from their seats.  “Well then.  We will see you at supper later then.”  Lord Stark made his way to the door.  “Congratulations.”  Her mother said with a smile to her eldest daughter.

“Thank you mother.”

Sansa found it difficult to return to her book and the story she had been reading.  How would her own story unfold now that she was betrothed again?  She prayed to the gods that it would be nothing like the last.

* * *

 “You seem a brighter than usual sister.”  Robb spoke what was on most of the tables mind as they ate their supper.  Sansa offered no explanation other than a smile.

“Yes, well then.”  Lord stark set aside his plate.  “I have secured a match for Sansa, and I believe she approves of it as well.”  He said looking at his daughter who nodded in agreement with him.

Robb looked between his sister and father.  “A good match I hope.” Leaving the rest unspoken.

“I believe so.  I have specified that the wedding will take place here and that they will live in Winterfell for a time.”

“I see.”  Robb looked more relaxed “So, who is this esteemed man.”

It was Sansa who answered the question.  “Willas Tyrell, Lord Mace’s heir.”

“A Southern lord?  A Tyrell?”  Robb raised his eyebrow in surprise.

Arya laughed from her place at the table.  “Don’t be so surprised Robb.  You know Sansa has always had an eye for the south and flowers.”

“But you won’t be living in Highgarden immediately.  Why is that?  Wouldn’t lord Willas be missed in Highgarden?”  Bran asked.

“The Tyrell’s are facing a rebellion.  In return for aiding them they will provide food during the winter for our people.”  Lord Stark turned to address his heir.  “Robb tomorrow I want to go over the muster in the morning.  We will need to decide on which of our own men we will send south.”

“Of course father.  Will I be leading them then?”  At this Robbs wife reached for his arm.

“No.  I will not risk my own heir over this.”

“Have you written to lord Willas Sansa?”  Robb turned to his sister.

“I have not.  I do not think I will be able to if he leaves Highgarden soon.  Unless he writes on his way north, I will not be able to while he is traveling.”

The rest of their dinner included several more questions about Willas and the Reach, unfortunately Sansa did not know much more about her betrothed.  Later that evening Sansa’s mind was still racing with thoughts of what a marriage to Willas would be like.  She hoped and prayed it would be pleasant.  As she fell asleep her determination to make it so grew.  She would come to love Willas and he her in turn.  At last she would finally be able to have a family of her own.  With these thoughts she drifted asleep.

* * *

 The sun had passed the midpoint of the day when news came from the watch that movement had been spotted on the hills to the south of Winterfell.  A little while later a report followed that green Tyrell banners had been spotted with them.

When Sansa heard about the approaching column she had taken to her rooms to change dresses.  She had spent the weeks leading up to the arrival of the Tyrell’s sewing three new dresses.  Two Stark grey dresses, one for her wedding and a deep green that she hoped matched the Tyrell house colors.  Her future house colors.

She had gone back and forth on which color to wear when Willas arrived.  She settled on the grey one in the end.  With the help of her maid she did her hair in a northern style that was somewhat similar to what her mother said was a style more common in the south.

Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders she went to the courtyard to meet their new guests.

As the rest of her family assembled outside Sansa struggled against the wind to keep her hair in its proper place.

Off to her side she could hear chuckling.  Most likely from Robb and Arya.  Turning, she glared at her siblings who were barely containing their grins at her expense.

“Sansa.”  Robb said while trying to wipe his grin off his face.  “You do know that you would be hard pressed to make yourself unpresentable?”

Sansa blushed slightly, hoping inwardly that it would only appear to be the wind on her face.  She of course knew she was considered a beautiful lady.  “That does not mean I can’t look my best Robb.”  She shot back quickly.

The procession of Tyrells now entered the gatehouse to the castle.  All eyes moved to watch as they approached.  At the head of the group was Lord Howland Reed.

Lord Stark called out to greet his friend.  “Howland.  I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Lord Stark.”  The man raised his hand in a hello.  “We found this southern lot making their way north along the Kingsroad.  Some of them had a touch of greywater fever for a time.”  He looked back to the wheelhouse in the center of the group.  “You’ve got some interesting company here Lord Stark.  I didn’t even get and invitation to the wedding.  You aren’t going to pull the same when Bran weds are you?”  He asked jokingly.  Bran had been courting lord Reed’s daughter, Meera.

“You know I wouldn’t do that.”  Lord Stark approached Howland as he dropped from his horse.  “I’m looking to avoid any problems with my banners regarding Sansa’s marriage to a southerner.”

The wheelhouse was adorned in in rose emblems and was painted green.  It came to a stop near the steps that led up to the doors of the castle.

As she was giving her dress another smoothing over she could hear another smirking laugh from Robb.  Not letting him see her annoyance, Sansa instead focused on the wheelhouse and the man she expected to emerge from it soon.

The door opened to a slender man who stood shakily on one leg when he exited the wheelhouse.  Turning back into it he retrieved a pair of crutches and placed them under his arms.

Finally facing the assembled crowd of Starks he looked over the group nervously.  When his eyes fell on Sansa she could see his Adam’s apple bob slightly.  His face was covered in a light scruff the same shade of brown as his hair.

“Lord Willas.”  Her father offered his hand to the younger man.

Willas shook his hand.  “Thank you for agreeing to this alliance Lord Stark.  My father regrets not being able to attend the wedding in person, but he does send his gratitude.  The harvest is still underway in the Reach.  When it is completed we will have a better idea of what goods we can ship to the North.”

“Very good, but we can discuss business another time.”  He motioned to his waiting family.  “Let me introduce you to my family.  My wife Lady Stark, my heir Robb, Arya, Brandon and Rickon.”

Willas bowed the best he could to each in turn.

“And the reason you have traveled so far.  My eldest daughter Sansa.”

Sansa gave the best courtesy she could muster.  “A pleasure to meet you my lord.”

“Ahh… lllikewise my lady.”  Willas replied flustered.  They were nearly the same height given her tallness for a lady and him leaning on his crutches.

Arya stifled another laugh and was elbowed by Bran.

“You must be tired from your journey.  Allow us to show you to your room we have prepared.”  Lady Stark said as she and Sansa stepped forward.

“Thank you my ladies.”  The young man again gave a bow.  He seemed to have a habit of it Sansa noted.

The trio walked at a slower pace on account of Willas and his crutches through the doors of castle.

“Your room is in the family hall.  It is the warmest of all the halls in the castle.”  Sansa spoke to her betrothed.  “My mother is a southerner like yourself, she is from the Riverlands.  The family wing was moved here to help her adjust to the cold.  She can vouch for the warmth of these rooms.”

“That’s very thoughtful.  I truly am grateful.”

The family hall was only served by a select few staff and they made themselves scarce when the two eldest Stark ladies escorted their guest to his room. 

Along the wall hung many different tapestries describing the history of the North.  As they passed Willas tried to take them in.  They were all very impressive.  The first appeared to be the building of Winterfell.  The others that followed were the creation of the Nights Watch and the Skagosi Rebellion.

“Do you enjoy history my lord?”  Sansa asked when she saw him eyeing the tapestries.

“Yes, my lady.  I had to brush up on my history of the North before I left Highgarden.  There wasn’t much time but I was able to read a volume on Bran the Builder.”

“Ah, the builder of Winterfell and the founder of our house.”  She pointed backwards to the first tapestry they had passed.  “The Starks have made changes throughout the years, but many things in the older parts of the castle are just like when he first built them.  If you would like I can take you on a tour of the castle.”

“I would like that.”

When they arrived at the rooms set aside for Willas Lady Stark opened the door and stood aside.  “These will be your rooms.  If you require anything please let us know.”

“Supper will be held just after sundown.”  Sansa added.  “I hope you will join us if you are not too tired from your journey.”

“I will my lady.  And, thank you again.”  Once more he gave a short bow to both women.

Inside his room he sat down on the bed, dropping his crutches beside him.  He had asked about lady Sansa and was told she favored her mother in looks, and that Lady Stark was considered a beauty in her youth.  Lady Sansa was a beautiful woman, more so than he would have thought before he left Highgarden.  Willas ran a hand over his knee.  He had never been very good at talking with women, particularly beautiful women.  This was going to be very difficult indeed.

When the rest of the belongings he had traveled with arrived he set about unpacking.  He did not bring many things, a few of his favorite books, and the like.  He hoped he would have time to write some about the different types of birds that were found in the North.  Perhaps even capture one for training.  There were several he had noted since crossing the Neck that were different than any others found in the south of Westeros.

The one item he rued having to bring with him was the special chair outfitted with wheels for when he was unable to use his crutches.  The schematics had been sent over from Dorne to try and smooth relations between the two kingdoms after his accident.  He did not want to see the reactions when the Starks saw the contraption, especially lady Sansa.

Opening his personal traveling trunk Willas searched for the gifts he brought for Sansa.  One was a betrothal gift, the other a wedding gift.  The first was a book containing pressed flowers from the gardens in Highgarden.  He and his mother had gathered them and pressed into the book.  Contained within was a list of the many different flowers that thrived in the warmth of the Reach.

Below the book was the second gift.  Inside a beautifully carved box was a gold necklace in with diamonds.  He hadn’t the time before leaving to have one specially crafted for his betrothed, so he selected this one instead.

He would give her the book this evening and the necklace after their wedding, on their wedding night.  Their wedding night.  His gut twisted with nerves at the thought.

While she was every bit as hospitable as he had hopped, he doubted she had wanted a husband who was interested in such sedate activities as reading history chronologies.  He would have to show her his interest in other more active pursuits such as hawking.  He had brought along one hawk, not one of his bests, lest something happen to the bird during his time in the North.

Once everything had been put away to his liking he laid down on the bed to rest.  At least their first meeting so far had been a success.

* * *

“Did you know he was a cripple Sansa?”  The family had sat down to eat supper in the great hall and was awaiting the arrival of Willas.

“Rickon!  That will be enough of such talk young man.”  Lady Stark admonished her youngest child.

Sansa bristled from Rickon’s remark.  ‘He is not a cripple Rickon.  And yes, I knew his leg was injured.”

“Why don’t you go and fetch lord Willas Sansa.”  Her mother said.  “If he is too tired to join us have a tray sent to his room instead.”

“We wouldn’t want lord Willas to be too tired now Sansa.”  Arya called after her sister as she left the table.

“Gods above Arya.”  Sansa only caught the beginnings of her mother trying to correct Arya as she left the room.  Why did she get the feeling the teasing was only just starting from Arya?

At Willas’s door she knocked and waited.  When it opened she was a little surprised to see that Willas did not have his crutches with him but was instead holding a cane at his side.  And, was that a leg brace he was wearing?

“Super is being served in the great hall if you would like to join us.”

“Oh, yes… I wasn’t quite sure when that would be.  There aren’t any windows in the room.”  Willas motioned behind him to the room.  Sansa noticed he had unpacked and a strange chair looking object was pushed into one of the corners.

“Perfectly understandable.  The offer still stands.”  She offered him a smile.

Returning it Willas exited his room and closed the door behind him.  The two started towards the great hall but then Willas stopped them.

“If I may my lady.”  He began nervously.  Reaching into his coat he pulled out a book, bound in beautiful leather interlaced with gold.  “I would like to offer this as a betrothal gift.  It’s a book of pressed flowers from our gardens.”

Taking the book Sansa ran her hand over the front before opening it.  Inside the first page was an index of more flowers than she knew ever existed.  And they were all contained inside this book?  On the next page there was a rose pressed into the page.  Bringing the page close to her nose she could even smell its fragrance ever so slightly.

“Of course the first would have to be rose.  Highgarden is full of them.”  Willas said shifting nervously on his feet.  “It is our sigil after all.”

“We have a hot house here in Winterfell that grows somethings all year long, but we can’t afford to grow plants just for their fragrance and beauty.  Thank you my lord.”

Returning her smile the two continued on their way to the great hall.

Once in the great hall several pairs of eyes watched them as they took their seats.  Sansa placed the book of flowers beside her plate.  Arya opened it and flipped through several pages.  “I didn’t know you stopped off at the library as well?  Its full of nothing but flowers.”

Shutting the book Sansa slapping away her sisters’ hand.  “It’s not from the library, but you wouldn’t know that now would you.”  Arya rolled her eyes in reply.  “It’s a gift from Willas.”

The young man squirmed under scrutiny as several of the Starks glanced at him.

“Lord Willas I hope you agree to having the wedding tomorrow.”

The young man seemed to pale slightly at Lord Stark’s suggestion.

“Eddard, there is no need to have the wedding so soon.  Let them have some time to get to know one another.”  Lady Stark said with a hand on her husband’s shoulder.

“I see no reason for the wedding to be held off.  We were married just minutes after we met.”

“That was during a war Eddard.”

“And his family is currently at war.”

Both Sansa and Willas watched the exchange with rapt attention.

“Eddard.”  Lady Stark said sounding annoyed.

“I insist the wedding take place tomorrow.”

“I have no objections to your request Lord Stark.”  Willas said addressing his future father in law.  The older man replied only with a nod before returning to his meal.

“Have you visited the ocean before lord Willas?”  Robb asked before an uncomfortable silence could fall on the table.

“I have.  When I was younger my family and I visited the Arbor.  My grandmother is from there originally.”

“Is it true that you can smell the salt in the air?  I have always found that to be an odd expression.”

“You can.  It is an odd expression, but true.  You can smell the ocean before you can see it.”

“I imagine the water is much warmer in the south than it is here.  Perhaps that is something you can look forward to sister.”  Robb said as he looked at Sansa.

Sansa felt her ears warm and tried to maintain a calm exterior.

“That does sound lovely.”

“There will be many opportunities for us to travel to the ocean should you like to my lady.”

The betrothed pair held eyes for a while before being dragged back into conversation about the many differences between the North and the Reach.  Eventually the conversation died and Robb and his wife left the table followed by the rest of Sansa’s siblings.

“Shall I walk you back to your room my lord?”

“Yes, thank you my lady.  Thank you for your hospitality Lady Stark.”  The man again gave a short bow to his hostess who replied with a curtsy.

“You are most welcome.”

Gathering up her book Sansa took the arm Willas offered and they set off for the family wing.  They did not speak along their way, Sansa could not tell if Willas was nervous and trying to avoid conversation with her or if he was as engrossed in the tapestries as he appeared to be.

At the door to Willas’s room the two said goodnight and separated.

Back in her own room Sansa changed into her sleeping gown and got ready for bed.  From her corner of the room Lady panted happily, she seemed to match the hopeful mood her mistress was in.

In bed she took out Willas’s gift and opened it to the rose.  Tracing the outline of the flower she tried to imagine what a garden full of roses would look like.  Did Highgarden have separate gardens for different flowers, or did they all bloom together in a grand array of colors?

The rest of the pages were filled with different colors and shapes of flowers, so many new names she did not recognize.  As the candle by her bed burned down she at last set aside the book.

Tomorrow she would be Sansa Tyrell and Willas Tyrell would be her husband.  “Willas.”  She said the name aloud.  She liked it.  Willas was nothing like Denys.  Even their early meetings were nothing like what today had been with Willas.

Denys had never given her a gift or said any kind word to her.  She could not imagine this young man harming her like Denys.

With thoughts of a family of her own, Sansa drifted off to sleep comfortably.


	2. The Wedding Night

Winter had truly arrived in the North.  Willas was of the opinion that it had already been cold when he arrived in Winterfell.  The seven though it seemed wanted to teach him that it could in fact get colder.

Outside the cold snap left a pristine white blanket over all the land.  At least it was pretty to look at.  Perhaps there was some Northern tradition that a snow would usher in a good marriage.  Snow was not viewed as a good thing in the Reach, or most of the south, but the Northmen were different in many ways.

The dark green pants and coat he put on were not the warmest clothing he had brought, but it was the most formal and what he intended to wear for the wedding.  It took a little longer to secure his leg brace and keep his pants from creasing too much; it wasn’t something he normally worried about.  With his cane in hand he sat down to enjoy a light breakfast that had been left for him in the sitting area of his room.

* * *

Deciding it would be more enjoyable to wait for the ceremony someplace other than his room after breakfast, it was a little boring and he was having trouble concentrating on anything whenever he would imagine the upcoming night, he made for the library to see what the Starks had for good reading material.  He was also not sure if he would meet Sansa before the ceremony, he did not think so since he imagined the Stark women would be with Sansa for most of the day prior to the wedding.

There was a small section of poetry that looked to be relatively new.  That must have been for one of the ladies of the castle.  There were many different compilations on the history of the North and the Stark family.  Willas was in the middle of selecting one when another person entered the library.

“Lord Willas.”  Willas turned to see Lord Stark standing in the library doorway.  “Enjoying the library?”

“Yes my lord.  You seem to have a nice selection of books on the North, more than we do in Highgarden.”  Willas knew that Lord Stark did not wish to share ideas about history or whose library had a larger book selection.

“My daughter enjoys spending time here.”  The other man said as he motioned to the shelves of the library.  “I’ve had to keep a larger selection of poetry than I would have otherwise if I did not have a lady wife and a daughter who enjoy such things.  Sansa says it adds some brightness to her day during the long dark of winter.”  The older man came to a halt near Willas.

“Sansa is something that brings brightness to my days.  I would have you do the same for her as well.”

The older man looked over Willas for a moment before he continued.  “I will speak plainly, this alliance between our houses rests on the continued happiness of my daughter.  Should you mistreat her in any way I will break it off and retrieve her.  Keep in mind the North will remember any harm that comes to her.  You will not lay a hand on her in anger, you will not visit whores and you will not take a mistress.  Is this clear to you?”

The statements coming from Lord Stark were indeed clear to Willas, which was something he could respect and admire.  The man also sought to protect his daughter which was good as well.

It was the last part of his command that was a little odd to Willas.  Lord Stark had recently sent his own bastard further north to the serve in the Night’s Watch Willas had heard.  It was odd that he had allowed the boy to be raised among his own trueborn children.  Such an action was a rather large insult to his lady wife.  Perhaps he did not want to his daughter to suffer the same.

Willas cleared his throat nervously.  “I’ve… I’ve never done that Lord Stark.  My father does not dishonor my mother either.  My brothers and I were not raised that way.”

The two men looked at each other.  Each one studying the other for different reasons.

“Very well, Lord Willas.  I believe you.  However the fact still remains, treat my daughter well.  While Sansa follows both the old gods and the new, with you being a southerner and my own wife being one as well, the wedding will be held in the sept just past noon.”  Without another word the Warden of the North left the library and a somewhat shaken young man behind.

With the library once again silent Willas turned back to the book in his hand.  Finding a comfortable chair to sit in he attempted to occupy his mind for the next several hours before his wedding.

* * *

Sansa’s room was normally a private refuge for the young woman and her direwolf.  There she could read, sew or sing by herself.  On this morning it was a flurry of activity in preparation for her wedding.

Lady waited patiently outside in Sansa’s sitting room as she got dressed.  After bathing she had slipped into her wedding dress that had taken her several weeks to finish.  At her vanity her mother was working on braiding her hair, a task that usually fell to her handmaid but Sansa had been pleased that her mother had offered to do it instead this morning.

“Where you nervous when you married father?”  Sansa asked as her mother made her hair up in a traditional Northern style.  Even though she would be the wife of a southern lord today she would enter the sept as a northern Stark.

Sansa’s mother smoothed her hair out.  “Yes.  The first words I spoke to your father were my wedding vows.  At least you have had the chance to have some time, however limited it was, with lord Willas before the wedding.  He has been kind so far yes?”

“Oh yes, much more kind than Denys ever was.”

Lady Stark set aside the comb and placed her hand on Sansa’s shoulder.  “You will tell someone, your father or me, if he is unkind to you Sansa?  I know you did last time, but…”  The older woman trailed off.

Sansa placed her hand over her mothers.  “I will mother.  I do not think Willas will be like that.  I am happy to be married.  It would have been preferable to have him court me or even write to me before now, but I do understand why it has to happen quickly.”  She said trying to assuage any guilt on her mother’s part.

“I know we discussed this years ago.”  Her mother started with a somewhat unsure voice.  “But do you want to talk about tonight?”

Her mother’s words caused her to blush slightly but turned to look fully at her mother.  “No, I remember what you told me last time mother.  As I said, Willas has been nothing but kind to me, it also does not hurt that he is rather handsome.  And I do…”  She dropped her gaze at her last words.

“You what Sansa?”  Lady Stark asked softly.

Taking a deep breath Sansa let the words fall from her.  “I desire children mother.  You know this.  There is not a single woman my age I know that does not have children of her own.”

Lady Stark considered her daughters words.  She did know of Sansa’s desire for children, it did not surprise her.  She did wonder however if the young lord was capable of giving her children, after having suffered such an injury as had befallen the young man.  Knowing that such a line of thought would put a cloud over Sansa’s wedding she decided to keep her thoughts to herself and instead focus on something more practical for her daughter.

“Things might not go the way we talked about those years ago Sansa.”  At this Sansa looked up with a confused expression.  “Your husband may not be able to lay with you the way we discussed.”  When Sansa still did not follow her she said.  “His leg.”

“Oh.”  Sansa’s blush deepened as she pictured herself and Willas laying like that together.  “Then how would we..?”  She couldn’t finish her sentence properly.

“There are many different ways to lay with your husband.  This is something you two will have to talk about, though I would think having him lay down would be easier for the both of you.  Do you understand?”

Sensual images floated through Sansa’s mind.  The kind smile of Willas as he lay on a bed waiting for her.  The desire to kiss and touch the young man rushed through her. “Yes mother.”  Her voice came out as flustered as she felt.

“Keep that blush and we won’t need to add any ourselves.”

The two women laughed and returned to their preparations.  Both happy that Sansa would not be leaving immediately after her wedding and they could continue to share such times together.

* * *

Winterfell’s sept was nothing like what Willas was use to in the south.  He supposed it made sense with the Northmen following the old gods chiefly.  It was small but had a comfortable and inviting feel to it.  The statues of the seven were elegant and not gaudy like in other septs he had been to.

It was at least warm.  The sept was not located too far from the keep and the path had been cleared of snow and ice, so getting to it was not much of a challenge.  The sun had just passed its halfway mark in the sky when he had arrived.

Standing by the statue of the father he shifted as best he could on his good leg.  The brace was helpful, but it was so cold outside and his leg held so still in the brace that it was starting to hurt.

For the moment he was the only member of the wedding to be present.  Several servants were busy lighting candles around the room or tending to the fires in the braziers around the room.

Just as he was beginning to think that he had timed his arrival to early when the doors to sept opened and most of the Stark family entered.  Lady Stark was at the head followed by her eldest son and his wife.  The rest of Sansa’s siblings, soon to be his siblings as well, were behind them.

“Nervous.  That’s good.”  Robb said as he sat down.  “Better that than cocky or disinterested.”  He added with a smile, though Willas could tell he was only half joking.

When the doors opened again Willas felt his breath catch.  On her father’s arm Sansa, who was nearly as tall as her father, looked stunning.  Her grey dress matched the Stark colors perfectly and was accented with white lace.  On her shoulders she wore the Stark maidens’ cloak that many young women before her had worn.  She was also smiling brightly as she approached; Willas hoped the smile he gave her looked happy and not as nervous as he felt.

When Lord Stark came to a stop near Willas and the septon, he took the maiden’s cloak from Sansa.  Willas retrieved the dark green Tryell cloak he had brought with him from a servant standing nearby.

His hands didn’t shake when he placed the Tyrell cloak on her shoulders to his surprise, her ease seemed to help steady his own nerves.

Sansa said her vows with a calmness and warmth that Willas wanted to do nothing but bask in.  Perhaps this would be easier than he thought.

That feeling did not last when it came time for the kiss.  He swallowed his nerves and leaned in close before he stopped.  He hadn’t asked for permission, granted the septon had told him he could and it was expected of them to, but it caused him to hesitate.  Sansa laughed softly and closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was brief and rather chase, but Willas enjoyed it and from the pleased look on his brides face so did she.

He offered his arm to her and the newlywed pair walked out of the sept and to the great hall where the feast would be held.

The hall was already filled with food and drink.  Many of the local minor nobility had been invited and were in attendance; even some of the servants were having a gathering of their own in the corner of the hall.

Sansa and Willas had seats reserved for them in the middle of the large family table at the front of the hall.  Lord and Lady Stark sat nearby as well as all of Sansa’s siblings, now his own as well.

The great hall filled up quickly with guests, eager to celebrate and food began to be passed around.

Willas knew that being the bride and groom at the feast they would be the center of attention, he was even more so due to his uniqueness as a southerner.  Still, it was a bit unnerving to be receiving glances from every corner of the room.

“Would you like some roast boar my lord.”  Willas turned towards Sansa who had offered him some boar.

“Yes, thank you.”  He said as he took it from her.

He watched as Sansa picked up what appeared to be a small cake of some sort and take a bite out of it.  “Heading straight for the deserts are we?”

“Oh.  Yes, just a little.”  Sansa said.  “Lemon cakes are my favorite.”

“I believe there is a grove of lemon trees near Highgarden.  I’m sure they would be able to provide you with some for you cakes.”

“I would like that.  I keep forgetting they grow so many different things in the Reach.  It will be lovely to see them all one day.”

He didn’t get the chance to continue much of a conversation with his new wife as a near steady stream of well-wishers approached the table to congratulate the happy couple as the day wore on and became evening. 

Throughout their meal Sansa fed scraps from her plate to the direwolf that sat near her chair.  The presence of the animal at first was unnerving, but Willas quickly discerned that she was very much like her mistress, a quiet tempered animal.

As a man who was much more solitary in life, all of the attention and talking was starting to tire him out.  His leg was still hurting and the pain only growing.  He had long since given up on eating and instead only wished to leave the great hall.  It seemed as the pain in his leg increased so did the rowdiness of the gathered people.  Either that or his tolerance for it.

“My lord?”  It was Sansa who brought him out of his own thoughts.

“Yes.”

“Would it bother you if had a plate sent to your chambers?  That is where we will be staying yes?”  She had a small plate of lemon cakes in her hand.

Where they would be staying.  His palms began to sweat and his mind raced.  Him, staying in a room with Sansa.  A room with a bed, him in bed with her.  His stomach did a little flip.  “Yes, of course.  Ah, to both.  I mean, yes you can have a plate sent to my, our room.”  The words tumbled out of his mouth.

Sansa nodded and handed the plate to a serving girl and whispered in her ear.

“Thank you my lord.”  Sansa said turning back to him.  “I…”  She was cut off by a sudden outburst from Arya who was sitting nearby.  The young woman had stood from her place and was pointing at a man sitting at a nearby table.

“Enough of that.  If I hear one more word from your horrid little mouth about my sister I will cut out your tongue.”  Arya grasped the handle of what looked like to Willas a rapier.  He hadn’t noticed that before.

A boisterous laugh sounded from somewhere in the back of the hall.  “Ha ha.  Bed them!”

Several men stood and advanced on where Sansa and Willas ate.  Willas’s pulse raced and he reached out for Sansa.  The thought of other dragging her through the halls of the castle disrobing her disgusted him.  Unlike Arya he did not have a weapon on him.  He reached for a table knife instead.  It was nothing like what he had trained with the past several years, but it would have to do.

“Sit down.”  The calm but authoritative voice of Lord Stark echoed through the great hall as he pointed to the seats that were now vacant.   All talking and the music came to an end.  The men stopped and retreated back to their places.

Taking the opportunity Sansa stood from the table as regally as possible and held out her arm for Willas.  Lady stood by her opposite side watching the room intently.  Her pack siblings doing the same from where they stood.  The only sound in the room came from the logs crackling in the hearths.

Threading his arm through his new wife’s, Willas and Sansa walked out of the great hall as quickly as possible.

Willas’s mind was racing, trying to work over the myriad of thoughts, sensations and emotions that flooded his mind.  Underneath her wedding dress he could feel the warmth radiation from her skin.  It was all very pleasant.

They arrived at Willas’s room soon enough and he opened the door for Sansa.   Lady followed her mistress inside and sat down near the fireplace on the opposite side of the room.

Willas followed the direwolf and let out a groan as he sat down in the chair nearest the fireplace.  He had stood for too long during the ceremony on his legs and given the cold, his knee was hurting more than usual.  He was working on getting the brace off when Sansa spoke.

“Do you wear that often?  The brace I mean.”  She said as she sat down the chair near him.  “Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes, I mean no…. ah.”  He blushed and flustered under her gaze.  “I don’t usually wear it, I prefer the crutches.  The brace tends to hurt some after a while.”  He paused before continuing.  “And there is something you can do.  If… if you do not mind that is my lady.”

“Of course I do not mind.”  She said as she rose again.  “Would you please call me Sansa, and could I call you by your name?”  The familiarity and intimacy of their names would make this much easier in Sansa’s mind.

“You may.  And, thank you Sansa.  The leather bag on the table near the bed, could you bring that here?  And there is something else as well.”

When she had disappeared into the bedroom he could hear her picking up the bag.  Inside were his medications he travelled with.  Mixtures and tonics for pain and stiffness in his leg mostly and a few sleeping potions.  “The other thing is the wooden box on the table, the small rectangular one.”

“I see it.”  Sansa called from the room.  Willas smiled to himself, she had a lovely voice.  He wondered if she could sing as well.  He imagined she would have a beautiful singing voice.  After he finished removing the straps on his brace and sighed when the blood started to flow again in his bad leg.

Sansa returned carrying with her the traveling bag and box.  Setting them down on the small table near the fire she sat down again.

Taking the box, Willas handed it to Sansa.  “This is for you.  A wedding present.  I didn’t have time to have something made for you especially.  I can once we return to Highgarden.  I hope you like it, I’ve never had to select jewelry before.”

Sansa’s breath caught in her lungs when she opened the box.  Taking out the necklace carefully she held it up to inspect it.  The diamonds dazzled in the light from the fireplace.  Gold jewelry was not uncommon in the North, but diamonds certainly were.

“Willas… it’s beautiful.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Thank you.”

“Margery helped pick it out.”  When Sansa looked at him he continued.  “She’s my sister.  She is only ten and two, but acts very much like a lady.  She is very excited to meet you.”

“I will have to write to her then.”

“She would like that I think.”

An awkward silence followed and Willas turned to take out the necessary medical supplies he needed from his bag.  He noticed with relief that Sansa was busying herself by putting away the necklace and reaching for the plate of lemon cakes that had been sent in earlier.

Taking out one of the pre-prepared vials of milk of the poppy, he undid the cork and poured the contents down his throat. 

“Is that milk of the poppy?  Is your leg in pain?”  Sansa asked.  “Bran took that for a while, after he broke his leg while climbing once.  Mother was beside herself when that happened.”

“I don’t really like to take it, but today has been more stressful on my leg than usual.  It’s not normally like this.  I think the cold weather does not help as well.”

“Does it snow in Highgarden?”

“Yes, but nothing like I’ve seen here.  And only during the coldest parts of winter.  You get summer snows correct?”

“Yes, they are not nearly as bad as winter ones.  They can be quiet beautiful as well, they do have a different look about them.  My mother swam in the Red Fork growing up.  Did you swim in the Mander?  That is near Highgarden is it not?”

“It is. It’s rather peaceful near Highgarden.  My father and mother would take us down to the shores during the summer.  We have a pleasure barge that my mother likes to use, even grandmother enjoys it.”

“A pleasure barge?”

“It’s a long boat that is open but has a canopy across the top to shade from the sun.  It travels slow but it’s very comfortable, especially in the slow waters around Highgarden.  Mother likes to take it out during the summer when it starts to get hot.  We even occasionally travel partway to Oldtown in it.  My mother’s family is there.”

Sansa’s eyes lit up at the description.  It sounded like something from a tale she had read as a younger girl.  She would love to take her children on such a trip, their children.

“Do you want children Willas?”  She knew that all lord’s needed an heir, but she hoped he wanted children on their own, not just for an heir to his title.

The question took Willas aback; he had not seen it coming.  He tugged at his collar.  “Yes, yes I would like to have children.  Just…. Just not so soon.”

“What do you mean not so soon?”  Sansa put a hand to her mouth.  The question had come out so fast she did not have time to think about what she was saying.  “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.  Please, you do not have to answer that.”

“No, no it’s alright.”  He shifted in his seat to try and get more comfortable.  He was feeling up to answering her question, it was probably the medicine he had taken loosening his tongue.

“I would like to get to know you a little bit more before we try to add another one to our little family.”  He glanced at her for a moment.  “I know you must want children, with you being older and never betrothed or married…”  He groaned.  “I’m sorry, I do not think of you as old.  You are not and you are very beautiful…”

Sansa placed a finger on his lips for a second to halt his apologies.

Unsure of what to say Willas remained silent. 

Sansa wanted to explain more in depth, like Willas had opened himself to her, even though it was not a pleasant part of her life. 

“I understand Willas.  Thank you for explaining your thoughts.  You are right.”  She rested her hand on his.  “I was betrothed once before.  You are nothing like him.”  She added softly.

“His name was Denys Cerwyn, he is a cousin of Lord Cerwyn.  My father arranged our betrothal when I was ten and eight.  During the new year’s feast he found me in the hallway outside the great hall.  He… wanted things from me that I did not want to give him.  He was drunk and became angry, then he struck me across my face.  At first I was just as shocked as he was I think, when I ran back to the great hall he was following me.  My father was not pleased.  Lord Cerwyn was able to convince my father to have him sent to the wall and the Night’s Watch instead of taking his head.  I still think a part of him wants to kill him.”

“He should not have done that, he had no right to do that.  Just because we are married Sansa, I would never force you.  If you do not wish to tonight, or any other night, you need only tell me.”

Her chest swelled at his heartfelt words.  He most certainly was nothing like Denys, at that made her want him all the more. 

She took both of his hands in hers.  “Again Willas, you are nothing like him.  You also needn’t worry about us having children tonight.”  When she took note of the confused look on his face she continued.  “It is not the right time of month.  A woman must know these things.”  She added when he still seemed to not understand.

“Of course, sorry.  I’m not too familiar with.”  He made a fumbling motion with his hands.  “Female matters as you would say.”

“I also… want to lay with you Willas.”  She said softly taking his hands and bringing them to her lips for a kiss.

Willas’s blush worked up to an even higher level at her word.  “Really?” 

“You have been kind and a complete gentleman to me.  And you are also very handsome and my husband, so yes Willas, I do.”

“Ah…”  Willas sat up straighter and ran the palms of his hands over his knees.

“Would you like to get ready for bed?  Or we can stay out here if you would prefer.”  Sansa asked trying not to sound too pushy.

“I, ah, yes, that is… alright.  Get ready for… bed, yes.”  He had some trouble getting up, without his brace he had to turn himself around the chair to maneuver out of it.  He felt an arm around his as he stood up and found his wife offering a soft smile and bright eyes as she held him up.  He could do this Willas reassured  himself.

She was nervous as they entered the bedchamber together.  Lady had followed them to the door.  “I’m sorry girl, not tonight.  You will just have to sleep in here.”  The direwolf looked at her mistress for a moment and returned to her spot by the fire.  “Goodnight girl.”  Sansa said as she closed the door.

The room contained a fireplace, a table with two chairs, Willas’s belongings he had brought with him and the bed.  The bed was the centerpiece of the room and was covered in furs.  Sansa doubted Willas had ever slept in such a bed before coming north.  She imagined that nobles in the south slept in bed of silk or other expensive and exotic fabrics.

There was no screen for her to change behind and she did not have her sleeping shift with her.  She could sleep in her regular shift she supposed.

Looking at Willas she watched as he fiddled with his traveling trunk.  He wasn’t really doing anything, just moving things around nervously.  Was it possible that he was even more nervous than she was?  Willas had come across a somewhat shy man, it was not outlandish to think he was at least just as nervous as she.

Sansa approached the bed and kept her back to Willas.“Could you help me with me dress Willas?”  She swept her hair over her shoulder to make the loops in the back of her dress accessible. The noise of shuffling stilled behind her.

“Ah… yes.  Yes, I can help.  I think.”  Several moments later Sansa could feel hands near her neck.  They were larger than her mother or any of her handmaid’s had been.  They also shook slightly as they fumbled with the loops that held her dress together.  She stood as still as she could, trying to calm her own heartbeat.  She had a feeling she would need to be a little more in control of their first coupling than everything she had been told leading up to this.

“Your hair is… umm… very pretty Sansa.” 

She can’t help but blush a little from the complement.  “Thank you, Willas.”  She said softly.

With the last of the loops undone her dress hung by her shoulders only.  The cooler air of the room felt comforting to her back that had been wrapped up in the dress for several hours.  When she turned in place she found that she could easily meet his gaze since they were of nearly equal height, a fact that was comforting in its own way.  That was if Willas’s eyes would find her own.

Instead they shifted rapidly around the room, only making furtive glances towards her bosom that was so close to him.

“Willas?”  Sansa reached for his hands to take them in her own.  His palms were sweaty and he trembled ever so slightly at her touch.  His eyes closed and he turned his head away from her.  “Should we sit down?”  She tried to keep the worry out of her voice.

Not saying anything the only reply he gave was a nod of his head.  “How about the bed, it’s more comfortable than the chairs over there.”

“Ahh… the bed?”  He replied as she led him by the hands to sit down.  He stumbled at the last few steps and Sansa wrapped an arm around him to steady him.  “I think the milk of the poppy is starting to do its work.”  He said, trying to sound light but his voice game out strained.

Sansa helped turn Willas around and sit him on the side of the bed.  Taking the place next to him she tried to meet his gaze, but he continued to flit from point to point around the room.  “Willas.”  She said hoping to get his attention.  “Would you like to kiss me?”

At this his eyes stopped and enlarged some.  He looked at her lips and licked his own.  “May I?”  Sansa smiled and nodded.  They slid closer to one another on the bed and bent together.  The kiss was caste and slow.  Sansa relaxed slightly but could feel that Willas did not.

Taking his hands into her own, she laced their fingers together and held on to him.  She opened her mouth and tried to take his upper lip in her own.  When he shivered she could not help but giggle at his reaction.  Eventually she felt him try to pull away.  Breaking their kiss she looked at him.

“I’m starting to feel… could we or I, lay down?”

“If you are more comfortable that way, please.”

He nodded.  The milk of the poppy was affecting him now, he was getting light headed.  When he laid back on the bed he felt as if he was falling into it.  The pelts were soft and would keep a person warm through the coldest of nights, even more so with a beautiful woman.  Willas felt a blush start to break out across his chest.

From her position above him Sansa looked down at her husband, this was close to what she had imagined earlier.  He looked disoriented and Sansa could only assume this was desire.  It was the same feeling she felt in her own body.  Her lower half seemed to squirm with desire.  Willas was a very handsome man she mused.  The shy and nervous young man was so very different than Denys had ever been, and so much more desirable to her.

Once again taking one of his hands in hers she wove their fingers together, wanting to hold onto something as the intense feelings swept through her.  As she lay down next to him the pair continued their kissing.

Their kisses became more heated and Sansa’s free hand moved to her husband’s cheek to get a better hold on him.  When he started to pant Sansa tentatively reached out for his tongue with her own.  The result sent a thrill down her spine.

Another jolt of pleasure filled her when she realized they had not even coupled yet.    She could handle that, she actually wanted to couple with him.  The fact alone surprised her.  Looking over at Willas she decided to get herself into position.

Gently placing her leg over his body she shivered as she drug in across him.  When she sat up fully on her knees a sense of power flowed through her tempered with adoration for the man below her.  She was still not ready to remove her shift, maybe they could lay together with it on.  Wanting to kiss him again she bent down to capture his lips again.

“Sansa?”  Willas tried to speak between kisses.  “Sansa… I…”

Sansa placed chaste kisses on his nose and forehead before leaning back to speak to him.  “Yes.”  For a moment she did not even recognize her own voice, it sounded so… different.

Willas let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes.  He looked almost mortified.  “I can’t…. I can’t get aroused.”  He let out so softly Sansa nearly missed it.

She sat atop Willas confused.  Was she doing something wrong?  Perhaps she should remove her shift then.  “Would this help?”  She began to pull her shift over herself.  She was gently stopped by Willas.  Deciding to follow his lead she stilled and waited for him.

“It’s not… you.”  He said not looking at her.  “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright Willas, truly.”

“I think it’s’ the milk of the poppy.”  He swallowed thickly.  “I’m sorry.”

Sansa smiled and cupped Willas’s face.  “I don’t mind if we stop Willas.  Especially if you are uncomfortable.”

“We can try again tomorrow if you like, when I’m…”  Sansa cut him off with a kiss.

“I think it will better for both of us if we try to do this.”  She motioned between them.  “Again later then.  I’ve never been so nervous.”  Sansa let out a laugh.  “I don’t think it will be so next time.  We will figure this out together.”

Willas blushed but seemed to relax some.

“Would it be alright if we held each other?”  Sansa still wanted to feel close to her husband.  When he had nodded Sansa curled up into his side, wrapping her arms around him.  For his part Willas put his own hand over one of hers.  Wanting to make sure that Willas understood she was alright will how their wedding night went and that she thought no less of him she placed a kiss on his cheek.  “I’ve very much enjoyed tonight.”

“Are you sure?”  His eyes were starting to get droopy and Sansa could detect sleepiness in his voice.

“Yes, very much so.”

It didn’t take long for Willas to succumb fully to the milk of the poppy.  After he had fallen asleep Sansa stayed curled up next to him.

As he slept Sansa brushed the brown curls of his hair with her hand.  Would their children have his hair or her own?  Would they have Tully blue eyes or Tyrell brown?

Was it wrong to be thinking of such things?  Willas had expressed his desire to wait, if only a little before they tried for children.  If she had waited this long she could wait a little while longer.  It was not pleasant but she would do it, for both of their sakes.

When she drifted off to sleep this time her dreams were off boys with brown curls and girls with red hair, all of them playing in groves of lemon trees in the warm air of the Reach.


	3. Planting Love

She was the first to awake the next morning.  The presence of another in her bed caused her to shake the sleep from her mind quicker than usual.  Any discomfort at the presence of another, a man at that, quickly vanished when she realized it was only her husband that slept by her side.

Wanting to take breakfast with Willas she decided to get ready for the day.  Quietly returning to her own room which was near she changed dresses.  Lady sat waiting in her new room by the fire watching Sansa intently. 

She smiled when she returned to the bedroom and found Willas still asleep.  The milk of the poppy must have put him out, that or he was a heavy sleeper.  Whatever the reason, breakfast was being served in the great hall now.  With any luck they would be able to avoid any of her family, or at least the ones who would be prone to teasing her and Willas.  She wasn’t in a particular mood for all the knowing looks.  Even though they had not actually consummated their marriage the night prior.

“Willas.”  She gently touched his shoulder.  “Willas, breakfast is being served.  Would you like to eat in the great hall?  I can have breakfast brought here to the room if you would like some more privacy.”

Willas came around somewhat and looked at her sleepily for a moment before he replied.  “The great hall sounds fine.”  He ran a hand over the light beard on his face.  “I’ll need to shave sometime before this gets out of control.”

“I think it makes you look handsome.”  Willas blushed at his wife’s comment.

“Well… if that’s the case I won’t shave it off then my lady.”

“I’ll be waiting just outside then.”

When Sansa had left Willas sighed and looked around the room.  Last night had been an absolute disaster.  He felt completely unmanned.  Getting out of bed was difficult.  His leg was still hurting and his knee was incredibly stiff.  It was not going to be possible to just use his cane today.  His leg brace was also not a good idea given how his knee had swelled up.

“Perfect.”  He muttered to himself.  The chair it was then.

When he was dressed he hobbled out of the bedroom and into the sitting room with Sansa.  The large direwolf looked at him with what seemed to be kind eyes as he entered.

“Are you still in pain this morning?”

“I’m afraid so.”  Willas replied with a frown.  “I think I will need my chair today.”

Sansa looked to the chair in the corner that he was pointing at.  “We won’t be able to explore most of Winterfell today then.  We should stick with the library and other parts of the ground floor.”

“Very well.  I want to apologize for last night again Sansa, I’ve never been with a woman before and…”  Sansa pecked him lightly on the lips.  “It’s alight Willas, we’ve been over this once before.”

When he was settled into his chair he reached for the wheels and was about to start wheeling himself toward the door when he stopped.  Sansa was right behind the chair he realized and had placed her hands on the chair to push it herself.

“You don’t have to do that Sansa.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”  Her hands dropped from the grips on the chair.  “Do you not want me to?”

“You could help me get moving at first.”  Willas offered, not wanting to offend his new wife, but wanting to maintain some semblance of independence.

With a push from Sansa Willas was able to get the chair moving easily.  They made slower progress to the great hall than they would have if they were both walking, even with Willa’s brace or crutches.

The only members of the Stark family that were present in the great hall were Arya and Rickon.  The two looked up as the odd contraption Willas was sitting in wheeled up to their table.  Lady trotted over to a bowl set up just for her near the fireplace.

“Hmm..”  Arya looked between her sister and good brother.  “You didn’t break your husband last night did you Sansa?”  When the pair did not respond and only looked down at their plates awkwardly she did not press them, though she did get the feeling they were hiding something.

Wanting to get away from the awkwardness Rickon got up and left the table while mumbling something to the newlyweds through a mouthful of bread.

Arya watched as Sansa and Willas set about putting food onto their plates.  “So, what are your plans for today?”

“Since it’s so cold and snowy outside I was thinking of showing Willas the library and perhaps some of the old tapestries we have around the keep.”  Sansa replied.

Arya rolled her eyes.  “So dull.  You two make the perfect pair for each other already.”

“I was in the library yesterday, before the ceremony, it’s very nice.  Your father spoke to me briefly there.”  Willas said to his wife.

“Then if you have already seen the library perhaps we’ll start with the tapestries.”

“I’m going to go find Rickon and see if he wants to spar some.”  Arya said as she pushed away from the table.  “I may die of boredom here.”  She added with mock disgust.

When they had finished their meal Sansa and Willas along with lady started their tour of the more historical tapestries in Winterfell.  Sansa led her husband to a quiet part of the castle.

“Here is one I’ve always liked.  The direwolf depicted has always reminded me of Lady.”  She said as her direwolf sat by Willas’s chair.

“And what is this scene?”

“It represents how the Stark family came to take the direwolf as their sigil.”  She said, a little sad that she was no longer a Stark in full.  “They have been part of the North since ancient times.  Unfortunately not may have been seen south of the wall in nearly two hundred years.  I’ve only seen the dire wolves  that my brothers and sister have.”

The tapestry showed a grey direwolf leading what must have been an ancestor of Sansa on a hunting party through the dark woods of the North.

“The wolf does look like Lady doesn’t he?  Or perhaps it is she?”

Sansa laughed lightly.  “I like to think it is a girl.  And one of Lady’s family from long ago.”

“How did you come to receive Lady?”

“My father and brothers had to conduct some business outside the castle, an execution actually.  When they were returning home they came across a mother direwolf who had been gored to death by a stag.  Her pups were still by her side and too young to fend for themselves.  They brought them home with them.  There were enough for each of us to have one.”

“She’s a remarkable creature.”  Willas said as he contemplated petting her.  “She is like nothing I have seen before.”

“I suppose I have not properly introduced you two, the past few days have been very hectic.”  Sansa moved over to were Lady sat.  “Lady, this is Willas, my husband.  We will be living with him now so you will have to get used to him.  You will also have to learn to watch over him like you do for me as well.”

She smiled at Willas.  “And Willas, this is Lady, my direwolf.  She is twelve years old and has been my companion for as many years.”

“May I?”  Willas held out his hand above the great animal.  Sansa nodded eagerly.  “Hello there Lady.  My name is Willas, and I am Sansa’s husband.”  As his hand ran over the direwolve’s head she panted happily.

As their tour of Winterfell continued Sansa explained to Willas the meaning of the different tapestries and more of the history of the capital of the North.  For his part the young man seemed very interested in learning all he could about the land his wife called home.

* * *

The couple decided to take their midday meal in the privacy of their chambers instead of the great hall.  Willas, still suffering from the combined effects of traveling fatigue and his milk of the poppy, had settled on taking a nap. 

Sansa considered writing a letter to Willas’s sister, but she wanted him to be awake so she could ask him questions about the younger girl to craft the perfect introduction.  She left Lady to sit with him while she went in search of her mother.  She had questions that were gnawing at her.

In the hallway she came across Arya with her sword.  “Sansa.”  She called out to her sister.  The younger woman looked unusually uneasy.

“Yes.”

“I hope I did not say anything this morning that hurt.  You know I’m not good at this apologizing thing, but I do not wish you ill, or Willas.  He seems like a good match for you.”

“Oh, that.  No that’s alright, Willas may be a little more shy.  I don’t mind some playful barbs from you.  Unlike whatever those men were saying last night.  I didn’t quite hear them.”

Arya’s face instantly clouded at the memory.  “That was not teasing.  And besides.”  Her mood lighted.  “Only I am allowed to tease my sister.”

“Have a good match with Rickon then.”  Sansa said motioning to the blade in her sisters’ hand.”

“Yes.”  Arya ran her finger over a small nick on the blade’s edge.  “I’m going to take this down to the smithy and get this worked out.  He’s getting better you know.  Still not as good as me.”  She grinned at her sister and headed off.

When Sansa opened her parents’ door she found her mother sitting by the fireplace working on a letter.

“Sansa!”  Her mother said, surprise evident in her voice when she turned around.  “I would have thought you would be spending the day with your husband.”

“He’s sleeping right now.  I think it’s from all the traveling and the milk of the poppy he took last night.”  She sat down on the couch by the fireplace and her mother’s writing desk.  “The feast last night was lovely, thank you mother.”

Her mother smiled.  “Good.  I’m glad you enjoyed it.”  Setting aside her letter she turned to face her daughter fully.  “Now, I get the feeling you did not come to speak to me the day after your wedding just to compliment me on the feast.”

Sansa blushed slightly and had to fight the urge to fidget with her dress.  Her mother knew her to well.

“Everything is alright between you and Willas right?”  Her mother asked worriedly.

“Hmmm?  Oh, yes.”  Sansa took a breath to steel herself.  “It’s just that.”  She began slowly.  “Is it possible for men to not… become aroused when you are intimate?”

A worried look crossed her mother’s face as she came over to sit down next to Sansa.  So, was it true that the young man was impotent?  Her heart broke for her daughter inside if that were true.

“I do not wish to intrude into your private life with Willas too much Sansa, I trust everything else has been good with him?”

“Yes, both in private and not.  It was just only when he could not… you know.  Does this happen sometimes?  He said that it hadn’t happened to him before.  I didn’t think that is was possible for men not to.”

“They would like to believe so.”  Her mother laughed.  “But that’s not always the case.”  A more serious expression returned to her face.  “Are you certain that he should be able to?  With his injury he may…”

“No.”  Sansa cut in quickly.  “He said that the milk of the poppy and his nervousness is what caused it.  I think he was even more nervous than me.  Even though we both have never done that before.”

Lady Stark felt relief at those words.  There was some hope here after all.  “If he was nervous, tired and battling the effects of milk of the poppy, then yes, it would be perfectly understandable that he was not able to perform.  These things happen in life Sansa, to both men and women, remember that and try not to become upset with each other when it does.”

“I was going to write a letter later to Margery, She is Willas’s sister.  I was hoping to have his input on what to say in my letter.”  Sansa said changing the topic.

“Do you know much about the girl?”

“Only that she is ten and two and is looking forward to meeting me.  I was thinking of sewing something for her as well, though I don’t know what southern ladies like.  I suppose I should learn.”

“I wouldn’t know what styles are in fashion now in the south.  It’s been so long.  You could always send her something simple.  It sounds like she would enjoy it no matter what you sent her.”

Sansa agreed that would be an acceptable idea.  “I am glad father wanted us to stay on in Winterfell.  Though I know Willas must miss his family as well.”

“You will always be able to write to us.  I hope you will write more often than your aunt does.”

“I will mother.  I can’t imagine not replying promptly to you or any else’s letters from the North.”

The two continued their conversation until Sansa left to check on Willas.  He was still asleep and she was glad to see Lady laying by the foot of the bed just as she had asked, not that she doubted the direwolf would do as she was told. 

She briefly returned to her old room and retrieved her sewing supplies to start to work on her gift for Margery.  If something simple was a good idea maybe a handkerchief was what she would work on.

Settling into the sitting room again she set about measuring and cutting a bolt of plain white cloth.  It was the nicest material they had available in the North, father had sent for it from a trader in White Harbor just for her and mother to use.

When she had finished her with her task she realized that she did not properly know what the Tyrell rose looked like.  She could sew a direwolf without needing to think about it, but a rose, that was a different one altogether.  She would need something of Willas’s to help guide her in sewing.  Eventually she would learn the Tyrell sigil as she had with the Stark.

The door to the bedroom was open and she heard Willas start to shuffle and move around.  Lady was looking at him as well.

“Feeling rested I hope.”  Sansa called from where she sat.

 “Yes.”  Willas said as he rolled his neck.  “I needed that.”

“Supper won’t be served for another hour or so.”

Putting his leg brace on Willas retrieved his crutched, deciding to try and finish off the day without the use of his chair.  Sitting down near Sansa he looked at her work.  “What’s this.”

“I was hoping to get some help from you on it.  It’s going to be a handkerchief, for your sister.”

The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  “I’m not sure what help I could be with sewing.”

“If you could show your, I mean our house, sigil I could properly replicate onto the cloth.  I’m more familiar with the Stark direwolf.”

“I see.  Actually, I believe I have a handkerchief that would be about the same size.  You could use that.”

“There was something else as well.”  Sansa added.  Willas raised his eyebrow.  “Would you help in writing your sister?  I’m sure she’s peppered you with questions.  What would she like to know?”

Willas laughed.  “I think you may need several sheets of paper if you wanted to even scratch the list of questions she had about you.  Let’s see if I can remember some of the bigger ones.

“What your favorite flower is.  All Tyrells must have a favorite flower according to Margery.”

“And what is yours.”  Sansa asked.

“I’ve always ben partial to azaleas.  They come in many different colors, as do most of the flowers that grow in Highgarden, but azaleas only bloom for a few weeks, it makes them more worthwhile in my mind than some of the others when they do bloom.”

“You have to work at it to get a good result and when they bloom it’s a reward.”  Sansa said.

“Yes, exactly.”

By the time supper was to be served Sansa had a list of several questions with answers that Margery would find interesting and some questions of her own for her new goodsister.  More importantly she had the knowledge that if she and Willas continued to work on their marriage and love the two would have a good reward.

* * *

The winter was an unusually sort one.  Not a full nine months had passed when spring arrived.  Many thought it might even be a false spring.  During the winter word had reached the North that the Stark men had assisted the Tyrells in putting down the rebellion, all would be safe for Willas to return to Highgarden with his lady wife.

When they had decided to try and be intimate again the whole experience went better than it had last time, even though Sansa had enjoyed their wedding night.  The couple had to exercise restraint during the winter so as to not have a child result from their couplings, something that had always pained Sansa somewhat though she did understand why. 

Willas had promised her they would begin trying in earnest for a baby when they returned Highgarden when word came that spring had arrived early.  She still found herself occasionally daydreaming of sewing roses onto her child’s items when she worked at her needle.

With the possibility of the summer season not lasting long Sansa and Willas decided to leave for Highgarden as soon as possible.

Leaving Winterfell was harder than Sansa realized it would be.  He mood lifted once they were further south than she had ever been and she could talk with Willas about the new sights she was seeing for the first time.  Along the road Sansa found herself needing her coat less and less often during the day and even in the night.  She wondered how warm it would be in the Reach during springtime.  Willas said it was pleasant, but what he considered pleasant she may find to be hot.

When they crossed into the Reach it was Willas’s turn to be excited.  He explained the history of several of the towns and villages they crossed through on their journey.

On the last day of their journey Willas asked for the wheelhouse to be stopped.  When he stepped out of it and asked for her hand Sansa had to shield her eyes from the sun, it was a bright day.  Lady stuck her head outside and watched the man and woman.

“The sun will help I think.”  Willas said.  “Yes, it does.”

“It does what?”  Sansa asked.

Willas pointed past the front of the wheelhouse.  “There.  Highgarden.”

“Oh.”  Sansa was left momentarily speechless.  It was still some ways off, they would most likely be there before the sun set, and it was magnificent.  Even from the distance they were at she could see the towers of the keep and the great white stone curtain wall that surrounded it.  “It’s beautiful.”   She exclaimed.

“It is, isn’t it.”  And over there should be the lemon tree grove.”  He said as he pointed off into the distance.

“I see you remembered.”

“Of course.  I promised by beautiful bride lemons.  And lemons she shall have.”  He wrapped and arm around her waist and pulled her to him gently and kissed her.  “Welcome home Sansa.”

Sansa gave him a kiss of her own. “Our home.”

“Yes, our home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up going in a somewhat different direction with this chapter than originally intended, I didn't want to make the story to smuttyish. I'm not completely happy with the ending but still enjoyed writing this a whole lot.


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